Over the past four years, the Bush Administration has on numerous occasions sanctioned troop increases. In every case this strategy has had little long-term impact.
"Operation Together Forward" (June-October 2006): In June the Bush administration announced a new plan for securing Baghdad by increasing the presence of Iraqi Security Forces. That plan failed, so in July the White House announced that additional American troops would be sent into Baghdad. By October, a U.S. military spokesman, Gen. William Caldwell, acknowledged that the operation and troop increase was a failure and had "not met our overall expectations of sustaining a reduction in the levels of violence." [CNN, 12/19/06 [1]. Washington Post, 7/26/06 [2]. Brookings Institution, 12/21/06 [3].]
Elections and Constitutional Referendum (September-December 2005): In fall of 2005, the Bush administration increased troop levels by 22,000, making a total of 160,000 American troops in Iraq around Iraq's constitutional referendum and parliamentary elections. While the elections went off without major violence these escalations had little long-term impact on quelling sectarian violence or attacks on American troops. [Brookings Institution, 12/21/06 [4]. www.icasualties.org [4]]
Constitutional Elections and Fallujah (November 2004-March 2005): As part of an effort to improve counterinsurgency operations after the Fallujah offensive in November 2004 and to increase security before the January 2005 constitutional elections, U.S. forces were increased by 12,000 to a total of 150,000. Again there was no long-term security benefit. [Brookings Institution, 12/21/06 [5]. New York Times, 12/2/04 [6].]
Massive Troop Rotations (December 2003-April 2004): As part of a massive rotation of 250,000 troops in the winter and spring of 2004, troop levels in Iraq were raised from 122,000 to 137,000. Yet the increase did nothing to prevent Muqtada al-Sadr's Najaf uprising and April of 2004 was the second deadliest month for Americans. [Brookings Institution, 12/21/06 [7]. www.icasualties.org [7]. USA Today, 3/4/04 [8]]
Note: Proposed Surge Assumes 20,000 Troops